Leaders and residents in Kikuube district in Bunyoro sub region are appealing to the government to avail free land titles to combat the escalating land grabbing and eviction cases in the area. In 2024, the government, through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, availed 22,000 land titles to Kikuube residents to combat the escalating land grabbing cases in the district.
The titles were then availed to the local people at reduced cost, not exceeding 85,000 shillings, under the Systematic Land Adjudication and Certification (SLAAC) implemented by the Ministry of Lands. The initiative, funded by the World Bank, was implemented in the sub-counties of Kizirafumbi, Bugambe, Buhimba, Kyangwali, Kabwoya and Kikuube town council benefit from the project.
This was after several families had been brutally evicted from their ancestral land, but many others are still being evicted in the district by land grabbers who are fraudulently acquired titles. Now leaders and residents have appealed to the government to consider availing more titles at a subsidized cost to help protect other residents who had not yet attained the Titles from being evicted from their ancestral land.
Paddy Kisembo, the Kikuube LCV Chairperson says, though government allocated titles to some residents in the district, land grabbing and eviction cases continue to persist. He says that many rich people and speculators continue to threaten residents with evictions using fraudulently acquired titles.
Kisembo says, to combat the ongoing land grabbing and eviction cases in Kikuube and other parts of the Bunyoro sub region, government should ensure that more titles are availed to the local people in order to protect their land.
Vincent Alpha Opio, the Kabwoya Sub County LCV Councilor who doubles as the Kikuube LCV Vice Chairperson says, the allocation of the free land titles by the government in 2024 had helped area residents to guard their land from being grabbed by speculators and other tycoons.
He says, in areas where the titles have not been offered, residents still remain on tension of being evicted from their ancestral land. Patrick Okwairwoth, a resident of Rwengabi village in Kaseeta Parish, Kabwoya sub county says, to save residents from land grabbers, government should offer more free titles.
Michael Muhende, a resident of Butole village in Kyangwali Sub County, says many residents in the area are being threatened with evictions from their ancestral land and appealed to the government to intervene by availing free land titles.
Emmanuel Bisemeza, the Kyangwali Sub-county LCIII Chairperson following the oil and gas activities in Kikuube and the Bunyoro sub region, land has become vital with most investors and speculators flocking the area looking for land to establish their various investment opportunities.
Land grabbing and evictions in the Bunyoro sub-region have become rampant ever since the discovery of oil and gas, with many speculators and grabbers invading the region-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
